Flexible roll-up drawing board



FLEXIBLE ROLL-UP DRAWING BOARD Filed April 26, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l GALE c. COELEY 3 madam;

Attorney;

April 18, 1944. G. c. CORLEY 2,346,908

FLEXIBLE ROLL-UP DRAWING BOARD Filed April 26, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ,l'nveniov: W GALE 6". COELEY HEQEWJS y A'tio-rne y.

Patented Apr. 18, 1944 UNITED FLEXIBLE ROLL-UP DRAWING BOARD Gale C. Corley, Clinton, 111., assignor of one-half to G. W. Lincoln, Jr., Louisville, Ky.

Application April 26, 1943, Serial No. 484,591

2 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in flexible roll-up drawing boards and it more especially consists in the features pointed out in the annexed claims.

The purpose of my invention is to provide a flexible canvas drawing board for military reconnaissance, field work etc., that is easily rolled up when not in use; that has a protecting transparent front; that has provision for removing the front in its entirety or only loosening a portion to slip map paper beneath; that provides ample storage space for maps; that has a plurality of transverse slats in spaced apart relation throughout the length of the drawing portion; that has an extension to enclose the board when it is rolled up; that has a pocket for flexible accessories such as a protractor, a flexible ruler and flexible triangles etc.; that has an end carrying and a side loop; that utilizes a waterproof enclosing fabric; that makes use of static electricity to hold a sketch against the underside of the transparent cover sheet which prevents a shifting of the drawing; it can be used on the officers lap, on horseback, or on a table or in restricted quarters such as the inside of a tank; and with a skeleton area map held in place beneath and against the transparent cover.

A reconnaissance map drawn on the outside of the cover, if surprised by an enemy the penciled map can be erased with the palm of the hand. At headquarters an unerased map can be put onto paper for record.

I illustrate in the accompanying drawings such an instance of adaptation as will show the broad features of the invention without limiting myself to the specific details shown thereon and described herein.

Fig. 1 is a perspective of my roll-up drawing outfit in condition to be easily carried.

Fig. 2 is a lower end elevation of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the front face when board is opened.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic section on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged diagrammatic section on line 55 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged diagrammatic section on line 66 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a detached front elevation of the transparent cover and its binding.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged section showing the reinforcing slats.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged plan view of the Zipper termini.

Fig. 10 is a side elevation of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is an enlarged diagrammatic elevation in cross section of a part of a rolled up book.

In practicing my invention I may use whatever changes or modifications in structure that the exigencies of varying conditions may demand without departing from the broad spirit of the invention.

There are two layers of water-proof canvas, an. outer layer I, and a duplicate inner one, 2. These are stitched together along their outer edges by a binding strip 20 between the layers I and 2 for a portion of their length thin reinforcing strips or slats 5 are placed in spaced apart relation as shown in Figures 3 and 4. The two layers of canvas are stitched together at 28. The slatted portion occupies a space nearer one end of the two layers than the other, as shown in the lower portion of Figure 3. At the other end there is a free portion 3 which serves to entirely enclose the other parts as the layers are rolled up. This end of the composite layer I-2 has a stiffening slat 4. At this free end tie strings I4 are provided at 26 and a Zipper closed pocket 9 is stitched to the inner layer 2. Between this and the first slat 5 a handling loop I2 is secured at 25 to the inner layer and about halfway of the length of the slatted portion the main carrying loop I3 is secured to the left hand side at 24 of the opened board.

Surrounding the map space opposite the reinforcing slats 5 one portion of a. Zipper member I is secured. This at the upper right corner 22 of the map the member terminates at about an angle of degrees. The other corners of the map space are rounded at 23.

The map space is covered by a removable transparent sheet of flexible material 8. All around the edge of this sheet there is a companion Zipper secured to the binding I9. It cooperates with the Zipper 6 on the inner canvas 2.

This transparent sheet 8 may be removed entirely by sliding the Zipper control left and downward to the beginning at I6 and to the ending of the Zipper control at I5 and running off from the two branches I8. The Zipper member 6 and the companion Zipper member I terminate at I5 and I6.

To reassemble the Zipper bound transparent sheet 8 the control is brought into engagement with the entering ends at IT and it is then carried all around the edge of the sheet stopping at I5 where the two branches I'I end.

The transparent sheet 8 at the upper and lower end is secured to a narrow width canvas 3| by a binding 2|. These narrow widths 3I have sewed to their outer edges Zipper member 1 on the upper width there are pencil loops H and the accessories pocket is closed by a Zipper H1. The edge bindings I9 are stitched through at 29 and the end bindings 2| are stitched at 30. An outline of a map sheet is shown at 27. The bindings 20 are stitched at 32.

The transparent cover 8 may be only partially opened as shown by the curved dotted line on Fig. 3. When it is to be rolled it remains on the outside and the covered slats are on the under side. The rolling is started from the bottom edge of Figure 3.

The pencils available for marking on the outer face of the transparent cover sheet 8 .are similar to pencils that are used for marking on the glossy surface of chinaware, though, their marking on the face of sheet 8 must be instantly eraseable.

The same principle in which the transparent sheet =8 is used may be combined with a plurality of transparent envelopes hinged to the slat side, on canvas I (not shown) with the hinge part parallel with the slats so that they will roll-up along with the other parts.

A very important feature of my invention is the cooperation .of the static electricity on the under side of the transparent sheet 8. When a map is placed underneath the sheet .8 and the sheet is smoothed down on the outside a charge of static electricity is automatically generated. This holds the map in place against the underside of the sheet. It remains there tenaciously even though the cover is partly opened to the dotted lines shown on Fig. 3 or even when the cover isentirely removed. The map may only contain conventional data associated with a removable penciled reconnaissance sketch on the outer surface.

Even if no sketching is done on the outside several closely related maps may be held side by side or partly superposed under the cover without any shifting. The transparent sheet may be either cellulose acetate, polyvinyl resin, or other material that is easily electrified and that retains its electrical state to continue holding the papers underneath against it.

What I claim is:

l. Ina roll-up drawing outfit, a flexible base which includes a plurality of parallel reinforcing slats imbedded in said base in spaced apart relation to each other, a flexible transparent cover for a major portion of said base, attachable and detachable means secured to all edges of the cover for securing the transparent cover to the base, an extension to said base adapted to completely cover the transparent member when rolled up and means for retaining the parts in rolled-up relation.

2. A roll-up drawing outfit which comprises a waterproof and fire resistant flexible base, a transparent cover for ,a major portion of the base, means secured to all .edges for attaching and detaching said cover from the base to provide a map storage space between the cover and the base, said transparent cover having surface electrical properties adapted to hold maps etc. against its underv'surface against accidental displacement, narrow transverse reinforcing slats associated with said base, and means for holding the parts in rolled up relation.

GALE C. CORLEY. 

